On Hold MessagesTechnical Considerations

Telephone line technology has advanced a great deal in the past few decades with the advent of fibre-optics and satellite transmission, however there remain two distinct limitations to its ability as a quality audio carrier.

The first drawback to the ultimate sound quality of telephone lines is the nature of the signal itself. While our society enjoys the benefits of stereophonic signals produced for broadcast on FM radio, all domestic telephone lines continue to employ monaural technology. One handset to one ear with one speaker indicates no need for a stereo signal, but this eliminates the opportunity for greater realism of sound.

The second important limitation to be considered for recording and mixing of On Hold messages is the strength of amplification and quality loss features of the domestic "Voice Grade Circuits" (lines). Although the signal is projected by a 48-volt "talk battery" which provides enough power to send sound to the small handset speaker, the low-grade amplification does not allow for full sound range reproduction. An inherent loss of up to 11 decibels on basic "voice grade circuits" is another reason that special mixing techniques are required for On Hold messages.

The professionals at Telephone Magic Inc. understand the many important facets of telephone line technology. We have perfected the process of compensating for shortcomings in sound definition of the "voice grade circuit". We firmly believe that understanding the medium is tantamount to providing the creative service that is Telephone "On Hold" Messaging.

Telephone Magic's production facilities, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, represent the latest in audio technology. The studio is geared to incorporate the proper equalization and compression necessary to compensate for broadcast use on telephone lines. Our staff of recording engineers are constantly striving to improve the quality of the on-line message sound.